Ways to say it
| Chinese | Romanization (Wiktionary) |
|---|---|
| 說話 / 说话 | shuōhuà |
| 説 / 说 | shuō |
| 講 / 讲 | jiǎng |
| 言 | yán |
The most common way to describe the general ability or the act of speaking is 說話 / 说话 (e.g., 'The baby is starting to talk'). When you want to talk casually, discuss or chat in everyday conversation, the term 聊 (liáo) is a popular and versatile choice.
What does it mean word for word?
The word 說話 / 说话 is a verb-object construction where 說 (shuō) means 'to say' and 話 (huà) means 'speech' or 'words'.
Which one should you use?
While 說話 / 说话 refers to the general act of talking or speaking, the single syllable 說 / 说 (shuō) is more commonly used to mean 'to say' a specific thing or a specific word. The term 講 / 讲 (jiǎng) is often used when talking involves explaining a concept, giving a lecture or speaking a specific language, such as speaking English. The character 言 (yán) is a more formal or literary way to refer to speech, words or the act of speaking.
Is there a formal and an informal way to say it?
For formal settings, 讲述 (jiǎngshù) is used to refer to the act of narrating or telling a story and 交谈 (jiāotán) is used when engaging in a formal conversation. The character 言 (yán) is also a formal or literary way to refer to speech or words, often seen in compound words like 發言 (fāyán, to make a speech).
Is it said differently in some regions?
In Southern China, the term 講 / 讲 (jiǎng) is commonly used instead of 說 / 说 (shuō) to express talk.
Related words
How does it change in a sentence?
Because 說話 / 说话 is a verb-object construction, you cannot directly place a person as the object after it. For example, you cannot say 'talk him' (說話他), but you can say 'talk with him' (跟他說話).
How do you pronounce it?
shuōhuà
When do people say it?
Before starting a conversation or asking questions, it is common to use the phrase 請問 (qǐngwèn), which means 'may I ask'.
Did you know?
- The character 言 belongs to a semantic family of words including 舌 (tongue) and 語 (language), all relating to the idea of something protruding or emerging.
- While 說話 is the standard term for talking, using 講 instead of 說 is a common regional marker of speakers from Southern China.
Examples in context
- 老人時常自言自語。Old people often talk to themselves.This sentence shows how the character 言 can be used to describe talking to oneself.Tatoeba #4504515 by egg0073, translation #4753773 by garborg
- 你想用什么语言和我交谈？What language do you want to talk in with me?This sentence uses 言 to ask about the language used in a conversation.Tatoeba #13052743 by maina, translation #13052556 by araneo
- 你可以讲话，但也要听我说，我也有权发言。You can talk, but you need to listen to me, as well. I also have the right to speak.This sentence demonstrates the use of 言 in the context of having the right to speak or make a speech.Tatoeba #2455768 by fenfang557, translation #2476391 by FeuDRenais2
- 他讲述了自己的成功经历。(Tā jiǎng shù le zìjǐ de chénggōng jīnglì.)He talked about his success story.
- 他们在会议室里交谈了两个小时。(Tāmen zài huìyìshì lǐ jiāotán le liǎng gè xiǎoshí.)They talked for two hours in the conference room.
- 我们去咖啡厅聊聊天吧！(Wǒmen qù kāfēi tīng liáotiān ba!)Let's go to the cafe and chat!
- 我们在公园里说话。(Wǒmen zài gōngyuán lǐ shuōhuà.)We talked in the park.
- 1 more sentence on Tatoeba
Sources
- Wiktionary, “talk” translations, CC BY-SA 4.0, dump of 2026-09-26.
- Word origins: Wiktionary entries 言, 講, CC BY-SA 4.0.
- Example sentences: Tatoeba CC BY 2.0 FR.
